Restaurants: A Love Affair

I’ve always loved and looked forward to dining at restaurants. Even when I was a kid and my palette was awful, I had the best time getting dressed up and going somewhere to eat. For some reason, I mostly remember going to Romano’s Macaroni Grill and ferociously splitting tiramisu for dessert with my brother as we tried to see who could finish their part fastest. Honestly, it was perfect at the time and I recall their pasta being delicious. They even provided reheating instructions (that involved adding water) on the to go boxes, which was brilliant.

Since moving to New York, John and I have dedicated our time and money to eating out and venturing to cocktail bars. We’ve been fortunate enough to try some of the most incredible places this city can offer. Which is why when we could no longer dine outside our home, my heart was broken. It broke for the people who suddenly lost their jobs and had to be stressed about another huge thing during a global pandemic. It broke for the owners who were finally living their dreams each day and had to hustle to either change their entire model and lose money, or close for awhile and also lose money. And it broke for the city who was hit so incredibly hard.

I won’t lie, this place was pretty grim for a couple of months. No one was here, nothing was open and being outside felt isolating. All of our favorite spots were closed and we weren’t sure they’d be able to reopen when they were allowed.

Fast forward to June where the city started to come alive a little bit as the weather warmed. My naive wish was to be able to eat a restaurant on or for my birthday. I knew it probably wouldn’t happen and I was working on accepting this reality.

And then, somehow things started to get better and New York began reopening. And then Cuomo allowed outdoor dining to be part of the second phase. And then they let restaurants use the street in front of their establishments to allow for more seating. And then, we ate dinner at a restaurant. But not just any restaurant, we ate at Tartine Cafe which has always been our favorite.

It’s a tiny French Bistro that only accepts cash and lets you bring your own wine to drink. The food is delicious and the service is sporadic. It’s my own form of utopia when we go there. And to top it all off, we didn’t have to wait to sit down and a cellist was playing music across the street the whole time we dined. Am I even alive? Is this real? Don’t tell me if it isn’t.

Tartine Cafe: Casual French Bistro | Cash Only | BYOB, no cork fee | Happiness

Steak Au Poivre, Sauteed Chicken + Frites

French Onion Soup, Escargot, Bread + Butter